Page 12 of Tempted By a Highland Beast
“Ye… ye are right. But ye went traipsing half a day’s ride tae the loch and we hadnae heard from ye since dawn.”
Constantine let out a laugh that sounded forced. “I can handle meself, Lilias.”
Lilias’ eyes settled on Rowena with open curiosity. “And who might this be?”
Rowena startled as the woman turned to her. She dropped her hands and hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. Being surrounded by people she didn’t know made her uncomfortable, to say the least.
Nay matter their kindness, I cannae afford tae lower me guard.
The broader of the two men stepped forward. His weathered face was serious beneath the short, dark hair. A crooked nose spoke of past battles, and his plain clothes did nothing to diminish the authority with which he carried himself. “Constantine, ye’re here,” he said simply, his voice gravelly.
“Theo,” Constantine acknowledged with a nod before turning to the third figure, a lean man with sun-browned skin and clever eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. “Finlay.”
Finlay’s gaze flicked to Rowena briefly before returning to Constantine, a question in his eyes. Rowena found herself offering a small smile to him, and he returned it with one of his. He was a lean, wiry thing, but he managed to fill up his shirt with muscles she knew he’d gotten from hard work.
He turned those eyes to her again. “What is yer name, miss, if I may ask?”
“This is Rowena. She is me guest, she will be staying with us fer a while.” He offered no further explanation, and Rowena noted how neither man pressed for one. Their loyalty was evident in their silence.
Lilias, however, had no such restraint. She stepped forward with a bright smile that made her seem even younger than her years. “Welcome tae Duart Castle, Rowena. I’m Lilias MacLean, Constantine’s younger half-sister.” Her curtsy was perfectly executed, though her eyes never left Rowena’s face with frank curiosity.
“Thank ye,” Rowena replied, inclining her head with practiced grace. She hadn’t known what to expect from this first meeting, how the people close to Constantine might look at her, judge her.
But Lilias’s gentle manner and unguarded expression soothed some of the tension coiled in her chest. There was something refreshing about the girl, so different from Constantine’s unreadable calm.
“Yer home is… magnificent,” she added, her voice steadier now.
“Is it nae?” Lilias beamed as if she had built the castle herself. “Though I suspect ye must be exhausted. The roads can be quite treacherous, especially at night.”
“’Tis been a trying day, aye.”
Lilias gazed at her with a mix of curiosity and concern, but her attempt to further interrogate Rowena was cut short.
“Lilias,” Constantine interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. “See that food is sent tae the great hall, Rowena had a long day.”
At the mention of food, Rowena’s stomach gave a hollow twist. Between her capture, her plan to flee, the chase through the woods, and stumbling upon Constantine by the loch, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d eaten. It had been almost a full day.
“Of course.” Lilias’s smile never wavered as she turned to Rowena. “Would ye like tae bathe first? I can have the water drawn, and there’s a chamber ready, if ye wish it.” With graceful ease, Lilias reached out and linked their arms. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, she began to lead Rowena toward the castle.
“Food will dae fine, thank ye,” Rowena said, a hint of relief in her voice. “Ye’re kind tae offer.”
“Let’s eat and speak before ye retire fer the night,” Constantine said, walking next to them, the words carrying a weight that made her stomach tighten. It was not a request.
“As ye wish,” she replied, lifting her chin slightly. If she was to stay some days, she would have to show some kind of strength among these people.
“Well, we already had dinner, so we will leave ye tae it,” Lilias, turning to go. Constantine nodded and Rowena returned Lilias’ wave and breathed a sigh of relief as Finlay and Theo followed, disappearing around the corner.
Constantine guided his mysterious guest into the great hall, noting how her eyes swept the vast space with careful assessment. The way she carried herself despite her disheveled state spoke of noble breeding. This was no common lass fleeing unwanted advances, no matter what tale she’d spun by the loch.
He led her to the smaller table near the hearth, watching as she settled across from him with practiced grace. Even travel-worn and wary, she moved like a woman born to high tables and fine company.
That contradiction alone makes her worth watching.
The servants appeared without his summons, setting out the evening’s remnants. Constantine ate without urgency, and he used the silence to study her. Her manners were impeccable, her posture that of a woman raised in a laird’s hall. Every gesture reinforced what he’d already begun to suspect, Rowena didn’t escape brigands like she claimed.
The lie had been skillfully told, he’d give her that. But Constantine had learned long ago to trust his instincts, and his instincts told him this woman was far more dangerous than she appeared. Not physically, though the fire in her eyes suggested she had claws when cornered. But dangerous in the way that powerful bloodlines and clan politics always were.
He hadn’t meant to care, but now that she was there, she was a question he intended to get an answer about.
